The Rise of the Creative Class

“The Rise of the Creative Class is an insightful portrait of the values and lifestyles that will drive the 21st century economy, its technologies and social structures. To understand how scientists, artists, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and other self-motivated, creative people are challenging the traditional structures of the 20th century society, read this book. It will convince you that success in the future is not about technology, government, management or even power; it is all about people and their dynamic and emergent patterns of relationships.”–Lewis M. Branscomb, John F. Kennedy School ofGovernment, Harvard University”[Florida’s] ideas about revitalizing cities by attracting artists and high-tech workers have influenced a generation of urban planners.“–Time“A pioneering cartographer of talent.”–Fast Company“A powerful, insightful book that reveals the core of regional advantage in the knowledge economy. Never before have I seen anyone capture so succinctly the values and desires of the new ‘creative class’ and the essence of human capital and the creative ethos. This is a book you will read cover to cover and feel enlightened by every chapter.”–John Seely Brown, Former Director, Xerox Palo AltoResearch Center (PARC), and co-author of The Social Life of Information“A smart and interesting book that takes a well-known cultural phenomenon…the critical massing of technology and creative workers of talent in certain cities…and mixes in some new elements about why they cohere.”–AlterNet“A vibrant and fast-paced romp… Florida’s research and experiences over the past decade have given him the foundation on which to build a new view of business reality…”–InformationWeek“An important book for those who feel passionately about the future of the urban center. [Florida] changed the framework for discussing social and economic inequality.”–New York Times“Few people provide greater clarity on the importance of place in the knowledge-driven economy than Richard Florida. The Rise of the Creative Class provides critical insights in how we can build 21st-century cities and regions around the emerging economy.”–Robert D. Yaro, President, Regional Plan Association, New York“Florida draws a vivid picture of what it takes to make a great 21st-century city.”–Denver Post“Florida’s book leaves the reader not just with some interesting ideas but with a new perspective for understanding our culture….Well worth reading if you’re seeking a greater understanding of the sociological and economic changes taking place in our culture today…interesting, provocative, and smart.”–Boston Globe“Prof. Florida’s book is an intellectual tour de force, scholarly yet colorfully written, with interest to members of the creative class.”–Globe and Mail“Ten years later, [Florida’s original] book seems prescient. For the first time, being different is more prized than fitting in and black-and-white thinkers are being left behind.”–Business Insider

Richard Florida is university professor in the University of Toronto’s School of Cities and Rotman School of Management, a distinguished visiting fellow at NYU’s Schack Institute of Real Estate, and the cofounder and editor at large of the Atlantic’s CityLab.